Kombu katsuobushi dashi

This is a test to see if Japanese methods can be used for a seafood broth that is better than the last two bouillabaisses that I had at local restaurants. 

They are both very good restaurants too, so you can imagine my disappointment upon realizing I can do better myself. This is a trial. It is an idea that arose because it is my favorite seafood broth. If the trial fails, then I will try any number of alternate methods at fish and seafood broth. This is so simple I had to try it first.

Drat! I am out of bonito flakes. There is only one place they could be and they're not there. That means I have to go get some more because I do not want to be without them. In the meantime, I do have this cop-out shortcut silly powder version marketed either for lazy people or for people too stupid to know better. It's a similar thing except in tea-bag form. The teabags do have bonito and mackerel and  I do have plenty of kombu, the two dark dry wrinkled flat things shown below.

3-D !

*  Saffron to Westernize the broth and to bouillabaisse-ize it.

*  Honey to offset and sweeten the brutal weirdness of saffron.

*  Chile flakes for oomph.

*  Two Crabs anchovy fish sauce for body and for umami.

*  Pepper and sea salt to avoid soy sauce which would darken the broth.

*  Marsala because, eh, what the heck. 

*  Garlic shaved into slivers along with one disc of sweet onion diced.

So, there you have it: umami, the essence of the sea, aromatic vegetables, spices, the depth of wine, unction of olive oil, vegetative essences, combined and balanced, and much MUCH better than the two bouillabaisse broths that I was served, and that is without any actual seafood included. I win. 

Kombu katsuobushi dashi

Dashi is a classification of stock basic to Japanese cooking. There are several types, seaweed, sardine, mushroom, etc.

Kombu is a large flat dried seaweed.

Bonito usually refers to shipjack tuna, katsuo in Japanese.

Katsuobushi is flaked dried bonito. It's sort of like instant fish broth or a kind of fish tea. It can be used otherwise too, as a savory flavor topping, for instance.

Thus kombu katsuobushi dashi is seaweed and tuna flavored broth. This is dashi with sole, vegetables, and egg noodles. Plus the usual suspects, to round out its Asian cred, a dash of the three-crab type fermented fish sauce, a few glugs of mirin, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. This time I added something different by way of experimentation, one tablespoon coconut oil, which is a solid like lard. I would have added saki if I had it, and chile flakes wouldn't have hurt.

But even Japanese rarely do authentic kombu katsuobushi dashi anymore due to the ubiquity of powdered, granular, and liquid substitutes. They're just like us when it comes to convenience foods, possibly worse. I've tried them, those substitutes, like bullion cubes, they're gross. In fact, I have some substitute dashi here and with no intention of ever using them I might as well toss them out creating space for stuff I actually would use like tamarind paste.

The white streaks on the dried kombu is concentrated salt and minerals. It's wiped off with a clean damp towel before starting. Kombu is soaked in water for ten minutes while slowly bringing the water to a boil. Just before the water boils, remove the kombu seaweed and dump in the katsuobushi flakes. Only allow it to boil for fifteen or so seconds then remove from the heat and allow to soak until the flakes sink or until the flakes are sufficiently steeped to bring the flavor to the desired point. Strain the flakes from the liquid. Ta daaaaaaa. Fish broth. I mean, kombu katsuobushi dashi. The kombu seaweed can be sliced and returned to the broth if you want. It's a little toothsome but its taste is not unappealing. It tastes like -- how do I put this? -- cooked chlorophyl and ocean. Mmmmm, ocean.